Edmund Needham Morrill
Encyclopedia
Edmund Needham Morrill was a U.S. Congressman
from Kansas
and the 13th Governor of Kansas
.
Edmund Needham Morrill was born in Westbrook, Maine
to Rufus and Mary (Webb) Morrill. He attended the common schools at Westbrook Academy and learned the trade of tanning
from his father. At the age of 23, he moved to Kansas. In 1861, he enlisted as a private in Company C, 7th Kansas Cavalry
. Within a year he was promoted to captain, and by 1865 he was promoted to major
.
After the war, he entered the banking business and remained in that business for the rest of his life. Edmund married twice. His first wife was Elizabeth A. Brettum whom he married November 27, 1862. Elizabeth died November 1868 at Hiawatha, Kansas
. Morrill's second wife was Caroline Jenkins Nash whom he married December 25, 1869. Together they had three children all born at Hiawatha.
A year after the war, he was elected clerk of the district court. In 1872 he was elected to the Kansas Senate
. In 1882 he was elected to the U.S. Congress, serving four two-year terms before declining another, announcing instead his retirement from politics. Nevetheless at the urging of his friends, he accepted the nomination for Governor of Kansas in 1894 and served one term, being defeated for a second term in 1896.
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
and the 13th Governor of Kansas
Governor of Kansas
The Governor of the State of Kansas is the head of state for the State of Kansas, United States. Under the Kansas Constitution, the Governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Kansas executive branch, of the government of Kansas. The Governor is the...
.
Edmund Needham Morrill was born in Westbrook, Maine
Westbrook, Maine
Westbrook is a city in Cumberland County, Maine, United States and a suburb of Portland. The population was 17,494 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area.-History:...
to Rufus and Mary (Webb) Morrill. He attended the common schools at Westbrook Academy and learned the trade of tanning
Tanning
Tanning is the making of leather from the skins of animals which does not easily decompose. Traditionally, tanning used tannin, an acidic chemical compound from which the tanning process draws its name . Coloring may occur during tanning...
from his father. At the age of 23, he moved to Kansas. In 1861, he enlisted as a private in Company C, 7th Kansas Cavalry
7th Regiment Kansas Volunteer Cavalry
The 7th Kansas Volunteer Cavalry Regiment was a cavalry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:...
. Within a year he was promoted to captain, and by 1865 he was promoted to major
Major (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
.
After the war, he entered the banking business and remained in that business for the rest of his life. Edmund married twice. His first wife was Elizabeth A. Brettum whom he married November 27, 1862. Elizabeth died November 1868 at Hiawatha, Kansas
Hiawatha, Kansas
Hiawatha is the largest city and county seat of Brown County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,172. It is the largest city on U.S. Route 36 between St. Joseph, Missouri, and Denver, Colorado.Hiawatha is named after a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow...
. Morrill's second wife was Caroline Jenkins Nash whom he married December 25, 1869. Together they had three children all born at Hiawatha.
A year after the war, he was elected clerk of the district court. In 1872 he was elected to the Kansas Senate
Kansas Senate
The Kansas Senate is the upper house of the Kansas Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. State of Kansas. It is composed of 40 Senators representing an equal amount of districts, each with a population of at least 60,000 inhabitants. Members of the Senate are elected to a four year term....
. In 1882 he was elected to the U.S. Congress, serving four two-year terms before declining another, announcing instead his retirement from politics. Nevetheless at the urging of his friends, he accepted the nomination for Governor of Kansas in 1894 and served one term, being defeated for a second term in 1896.